Prince George's art features in magazine edited by Prince William

A colourful drawing of a kingfisher by Prince George, created at home in the spring when he was 12, takes pride of place in a nearly 300-page collectors' edition of Country Life guest-edited by the Prince of Wales. Prince William spent six months preparing the edition, which also includes a rare interview with Catherine, Princess of Wales, discussing the healing power of nature.

The Prince of Wales writes in the magazine's leader column: "The places you love best are not the ones you preserve unchanged, but the ones you keep quietly improving. One day, George, Charlotte and Louis may ask me what I did to help communities thrive … we didn't simply imagine a better future, we helped build it, so that someone else could build further still." He sets out his countryside champions, including wildlife rangers, curlew conservationists, regenerative farmer Andy Cato, and next-generation farming students from Duchy College in Cornwall.

William shares personal reflections on growing up at Highgrove, recalling he had to remember not to open the curtains before getting dressed because the garden was often filled with visitors. He describes family walks with the Waleses' English cocker spaniels Orla and Otto, and notes that George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis love to get out and explore. Orla was gifted by Catherine's brother James Middleton in 2020; Otto is one of Orla's pups.

The Prince admits his support for Aston Villa has become "fanatical," calling the club his "second family." Villa manager Unai Emery features in the magazine discussing leadership and the importance of William's support: "It's fantastic for us. If we can give him good news, good results or good moments in football, we are proud of it." Earlier in November, William traveled to Spain with George to cheer on Aston Villa against FC Barcelona.

William also reveals his weakness for chocolate biscuit cake, first served by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, which he chose as his wedding cake in 2011. As future head of the armed forces, he uses the edition to set out his drive to ensure women in the military feel safe, respected and valued, following a year of private and public meetings with servicewomen across the Royal Navy, RAF and Army. Country Life editor-in-chief Mark Hedges described the Prince as a "formidable, hands-on guest editor." William follows the King, Queen Camilla and the Princess Royal as a royal guest editor of the publication.